Tuesday, March 31, 2020

PRESS NEWS

Ministry of
Communications

In view of the threat posed by the outbreak
of Corona Virus (COVID-19), and the complete lockdown across India, Directorate
of Postal Life Insurance(PLI), Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications
has given an extension of period for payment of their due premium of March 2020
upto 30th April 2020 without
charging any penalty/default fee. Directorate of PLI said that although many
Post Offices are functional as part of essential services, Postal Life
Insurance/Rural Postal Life customers are facing difficulty in
approaching post offices for payment of premium. Therefore, as a measure of
convenience to all the PLI / RPLI customers, the period of payment has been
extended.

The decision is likely to benefit
approximately 13 lakh policy holders (5.5 Lakh PLI and 7.5 Lakh RPLI)who have
not been able to pay premium for current month. As compared to about42 lakh
policy holders who paid premium last month, only 29 lakh of them have been able
to pay premium for this month till today.

Customers registered on portal have also
been advised to pay premium online using PLI customer Portal.RJ/NG(Release ID: 1609288)

Today (26.03.2020)
discussion was held with Secretary, Department of Posts regarding the panic and anger created by Secretary, Posts instructions to CPMGs issued on 25th
March 2020 to ensure functioning of all Postal / RMS offices including Branch Post
offices.

We have expressed our
strongest protest against this inhuman and indifferent attitude of the Postal Administration,
compelling the Postal/ RMS employees to ensure functioning of all offices, at
the risk of their life. We have made it clear that we are not against
providing minimum essential services in
a very few selected offices to the public , as we stand fully with the measures
declared by the Govt of India.

We also made it clear
that as the entire country is under lock
down including road and rail traffic, no purpose will be served by keeping ALL
Postal/RMS offices open. We also told the Secretary , Posts , that Federations
don't want to give a call for non-cooperation or strike action when the country
is passing through biggest crisis , but such inhuman , provocative and
insensitive orders of Postal authorities will compel us to resort to nationwide
protest action , which we earnestly want to avoid.

Secretary, Posts agreed that
certain confusion and unpleasant situation has been created at ground level,
after the Directorate orders dated 25th March 2020, even though his intention
behind the orders was not for opening all offices. After detailed discussion, Secretary,
Posts, assured that revised clarificatory orders will be issued to all CPMGs in
this regard. Secretary, Posts also told that due to unavoidable compelling circumstances,
if employees could not attend office, no disciplinary action will be taken
against them.

We are waiting
for the clarificatory orders of Directorate, as assured by Secretary, Posts.

Just now I have talked on phone to Shri P.K.Bisoi , Secretary,
Post and requested him not to issue orders for opening of all Post Offices. if
very much necessary than only call very limited staff in HOs giving them full
protection and providing them all necessary facilities.

If all Post offices will be ordered to open than we will have to
think for taking a serious decision to protect the life of our fellow members.

Just now I have talked on phone to Shri P.K.Bisoi , Secretary,
Post and requested him not to issue orders for opening of all Post Offices. if
very much necessary than only call very limited staff in HOs giving them full
protection and providing them all necessary facilities.

If all Post offices will be ordered to open than we will have to
think for taking a serious decision to protect the life of our fellow members.

SUB:PREVENTIVE
MEASURES TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF COVID-19CLOSURE OF POST OFFICES AND RMS OFFICES

Respected
Sir,

With
deep concern, we are presenting the facts to the kind knowledge of the
Department to re-consider the decisions already taken in connection with
functioning of Post office through out the country in the name of age old
'essential service' slogan, there by inviting greater troubles and life risk on
the days to come, not only to the employees, but also to the common public,
which is against National interest at this crucial juncture.

To
your knowledge, the response of various Indian states to COVID-19 will differ
as the poorest states have the weakest capacity to deliver health services. As
per the expert reports of Health Ministry, after the largest single-day
increase in the number of novel coronavirus cases in India, it has never been
clearer that the pandemic is upon us and the next few weeks are going to throw
up a scenario that many still find hard to imagine.

It
took India forty days to reach the first 50 cases, five more days to reach 100
cases, three more days to reach 150 cases and then just two more days to reach
200 cases. From here on, the juggernaut is going to roll fast. The number of
confirmed cases in India is now doubling in five days or less, down from six
days earlier this month. This puts India in line with trajectories of countries
across the world — in the United States, cases are now doubling every two days.

Italy
discovered its first case 10 days after South Korea. For another 20 days it had
less than 10 cases, even as South Korea’s case count began to rise steadily.
But then in a span of one frightening week, Italy’s case count multiplied a
hundredfold.India needs to try to move
its own growth curve away from the Italy trajectory, and fast, with strict
implementation of the social distancing measures it has already announced, if
not even stricter lockdowns.

At
this rate of growth, and assuming the 3.4 per cent fatality rate relative to
confirmed cases calculated by the World Health Organization, India is headed for
nearly a million confirmed cases by the end of May and over 30,000 deaths.
These are conservative estimates. A team of bio-statisticians used predictive
modelling and estimated that the number could be even higher, reaching nearly a
million cases by 15 May instead.

Realising
the situation, when the Country itself announcing complete lock outs for social
distancing, when almost all the Statesannounced curfew and complete blocking of towns and districts and
announcing 144 Act , not to allow even five people to gather in a single place,
when public/privatetransport systems,
including the most essential department Railways completely closing down, it is
pathetic that the Post offices are running , gathering the public in large in a
single place , spreading with Corona virus in large form, against the Nation's
interest.

There
is no relevancy in running the Post offices, when there is complete close down
and arresting of movement.We cannot
book, receive or transmit any mail. Except for withdrawal of money from Savings
account, there is no need of P.O.s to open for public, for that HPOs at HQ may
function with skeleton staff.

We
do not understand, what is the relevancy of our Department to continue to be
named as 'Essential Service', whenalmost there is no personal mails from any public and everything termed
as business ; named as Business Directorate ; Parcel Directorate etc and fixing
targets for procuring business and acting as agents to even petty shop owners
for any sales on commission .

It
is the habit of our Department, when asking for facilities for a service
Department, terming as Business and when asking for the facilities of
Commercial establishment, terming this as essential service. This is nothing
but, sheer exploitation of labour. Whatever it may be , now the situation is
very serious, dangerous and involving life risk, and if the Post offices are
opened , it will definitely act as a hub for easy transmission of Corona virus.

It
is ironical to note that different yardstick was taken by the circles, regions
and divisional heads with regard to number of offices being opened during this
period. In some circles, there seems no action at all. The fatal death of a
Postal employee in Punjab circle as reported in the newspaper cannot be ignored
to. The value of human life is more precious and it should not be compromised
in the sake of some prestige. Even though the Department decided to open the
post offices, it could not provide minimum safety measures to the staff and
also to the public attending the POs.There is no logic to open the delivery post offices when there is no
receipt of mails due to disruptions of transport facilities. There is no
meaning at all to open the RMS and sorting offices.

When
the nation is under the grip of fear due to the spread of corona virus, we
should not contribute the same by opening the post offices and do harm to the
nation. If the opening of post offices mitigates the issues and arrest the
virus, there is a meaning for such action by declaring our service as essential
service. When we open the shop and invite more people to spread the virus, of
course, it is pathetic and doing harm to the nation.

Hence,
in the interest of Nation, public and working staff, we are demanding the
complete closure of all Post offices throughout the Country, till the Govt
announcing normalcy for any free day to day activities. This is for the
interest of the Nation as well as officials who are working under the grip of
fear when the Govt is insisting to maintain social distance. The whole family
of the employees are in distress tension and agony. Hope our demand is
considered immediately, otherwise, there is no other go except to take some
hard decisions in the interest of Nation.

Monday, March 23, 2020

FOR PERSONAL
ATTENTION OF

ALL GENERAL SECRETARIES/CIRCLE SECRETARIES OF

NFPE UNIONS

AS
THE CLEAR-CUT INSTRUCTIONS HAVE BEEN ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO ALL CPMGS TO
ACT ACCORDING TO ADVISORIES AND INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED BY HEALTH MINISTRY, DOPT
AND STATE GOVERNMENTS AND ACCORDING TO SITUATION PREVAILING ON GROUND LEVEL.

ALL
LETTERS RELATED TO THIS HAVE BEEN EXHIBITED IN WEBSITES OF NFPE, P-III AND
OTHERS.

SOME OF THE CPMGS ARE TAKING ACTION BUT SOME
ARE STILL IN INACTION. PURSUE THEM.

TODAY
I TRIED TO MEET SECRETARY POST, BUT DUE TO HIS UNAVAILABILITY IN OFFICE COULD
NOT MEET.WILL TRY AGAIN. MOST OF THE
OFFICERS AND OFFICIALS IN DIRECTORATE WERE NOT AVAILABLE IN THEIR CHAMBERS AS
TOTAL LOCKDOWN HAS BEEN DECLARED BY DELHI GOVERNMENT.

IN
THE STATES OR IN THE DISTRICTS WHERE LOCKDOWN HAS BEEN DECLARED BY THE STATE
GOVERNMENTS, ASK CPMGS / PMGS AND DIVISIONAL SUPDT, CONCERNED TO CLOSE THE
POST OFFICES AND RMS OFFICES OF THAT AREA

R.N. Parashar

Secretary General

NFPE

************************

PREVENTIVE
MEASURES TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF COVID-19(Click the link
below to view)

We
would like to convey our sincere thanks to you for issuing advisory and instructions
to prevent spread of coronavirus (covid-19) in post offices.

But
after noticing the seriousness of this fatal disease several state government e.g.
Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab, Odisha, Bihar and Delhi have declared total lockdown
in the states.

UP govt. has declared lockdown in 15 cities and districts and AP
government declared lockdown in five districts?

Railway
board has taken decision to stop operation of all passenger trains throughout
the country from 22nd March to 31st march 2020. 50% of
our business i.e. transmission of mail is related with Railway. When there will
be no transmission of mail through railway, the work from RMS will be
negligible.

When
there will be no means of transport, then it will be very difficult to postal
employees to attend duty in post offices.

The
officers at lower level at most of the places are not making arrangements as
per advisory issued from directorate.

In
most of the post offices soaps, sanitizers, napkins and thermal scanners are
not provided.

Honorable
Prime Minister has also appealed to maintainsocial distancing, but in post offices it is very difficult to maintain
social distancing as some of the work like Aadhar updation and enrollment,
opening of IPPB accounts, delivery of articles through mobile app are directly
connected with public and thumbs and finger impressions are taken from the
customers. The Postman have to go to their beatsto deliver postal articles.

In
most of the post offices on the counters there are no glasses visible that may
keep distance within counters PA and public.

Keeping
in view above all facts and seriousness of this fatal disease caused by corona
virus (covid-19) and in the national interest and in the interest of mankind,
it is requested that the post offices throughout the country may kindly be
ordered to be closed from 23rd march 2020 to 31st march
2020.